The game was developed by the team who would go on to create Gunforce 2 for Irem and the Metal Slug series for SNK. The similarities are clearly seen in the artistic style used. In the Hunt is particularly unusual as the player takes the role of a submarine in underwater environments, although Irem has previously developed a similar game called Sqoon for the Nintendo Entertainment System. There are a total of six levels in the game.

Story

An organization known as the D.A.S. (Dark Anarchy Society) used a doomsday machine called the Yugusukyure on the South Pole, causing the polar ice caps to melt. The entire world was quickly flooded, but a few societies survived to build over the highest structures they could find and continue living. In this post apocalyptic scenario, the D.A.S., who were prepared for this catastrophe, reigns supreme over the survivors with martial law and military weapons of extraordinary power. The remaining survivors who are terrorized by D.A.S. secretly organize a rebellion force using a newly developed submarine known as the Granvia. The Granvia’s mission is to dive into D.A.S. enforced waters, territories and eventually the D.A.S. headquarters itself to destroy every single D.A.S. weapon in sight.

Trivia

The team at IREM that created "In the Hunt" left the company and formed their own named Nazca Corporation. With their new company the team created Metal Slug on the Neo Geo.

There is a pirated version called "Metal Slug Submarine". The cover was based on Metal Slug 2nd Mission cover art.